They're illegal to keep in many states, so don't be surprised if you don't find a lot of information about them. They get fairly large (14"+) and are carnivorous... what specifically do you want to know?
Also, there's no need to post the same question (and I use the word in the loosest possible sense) in multiple subforums.
sorry, kinda desperate, all appologies for my demanding message, but I need to know if the snakehead can be kept in the tank he's in now. see aquarium details under my name.
i really need to know if i can keep one in my current tank
Last edited by sirdarksol; August 19th, 2008 at 11:54 AM.
Honestly over time i'd probably put money on the snakehead killing everything. They are predators and on the top of the food chain in their environment.
sorry, kinda desperate, all appologies for my demanding message, but I need to know if the snakehead can be kept in the tank he's in now. see aquarium details under my name.
OK, I just looked at your aquarium info, and unfortunately you've set yourself up for a lot of future problems.
To answer your immediate question, I agree with Slug... it will likely eventually kill everything else in the tank. The reason that snakeheads are illegal in so many states is that apparently fishkeepers who found they got too large/aggressive released them into the local streams/lakes/whatever, they've killed off all or most of the native fish. If they can do that in a lake, they can pretty easily do the same thing in an aquarium with less room for the other fish to run away.
You might want to check for your state here, and see if it's even legal for you to have this fish. Now for the unsolicited advice part of my reply:
For starters, you have the 'Aquarium Type' section of your profile filled in as brackish. I'm hoping you just choose the wrong item on the drop-down, because none of the fish you have listed are brackish fish.
You also have a lot of very large fish in a not-large-enough tank. A 100 gallon tank is a pretty good size... but your oscar can get up to 12", your gar can get up to 12", your snakehead can probably get over 14", and then there's the tank-buster of the group, the clown knife. Clown knives can reach over 3 feet in length. That is simply too many large fish for a tank that size.
And on top of all that, you have a serious under-filtration problem. A Penguin Emperor 400 has a flow rate of 400 GPH and is recommended for aquariums up to 80 gallons. A good goal to shoot for with hang-on-back filters like that is 10x turnover... meaning you'd need 1000 gph on your 100g tank, and you're not even halfway there.
But let's ignore guidelines for now. I've never kept a clown knife or a snakehead or a gar, but I can talk about oscars. Oscars are very messy fish, and need very good filtration. Even if all you had in your 100g tank was just the one oscar, I would say your filtration isn't good enough. Then if you figure in all the other huge fish you have, and you need to step it up dramatically.
You need to make some decisions, and soon, about what you want to do, because I don't see the setup you have now working out for more than a couple of months.
Last edited by mathas; August 19th, 2008 at 08:03 AM.
The snakehead will most likely kill anything else in its tank. I'm in NY, and they're POISONING entire lakes to kill off the snakeheads here. They get very large, and I would guess that the snakehead should be in the 100 gal. by itself.
I've read a bit about these and yes, they're creating havoc in a lot of areas.
I don't know which surprises me more, that someone sold you one since they're so invasive or the fact you bought one not knowing how to care for it.
As was said, we have very little info, largely because they are illegal to keep in most countries. This doesn't mean we're passing judgment on you for keeping one. Rather, it means that very few people have practical experience in keeping them.
If it gets the 100g on its own, it will probably do okay. Big predators need a lot of space of their own, especially if they're kept with other big predators.
They are not, as far as I know, brackish fish. Neither are the oscars, the buffalohead, the gar, or the knife.
The gar would likely hold its own against a snakehead, as long as it remained equivalently sized, but they'd need a ton of room.
They need fresh food. This does not mean the feeder guppies and goldies that they sell at the pet store. Those things are almost entirely devoid of nutrients. If you are going to give them feeders, get a tank to breed them, or at least buy your feeders a month or so ahead of time and give them better care and nutrition, so that they'll be healthier for the fish.
Otherwise, if you can get it to eat fresh fish, beefheart, shrimp, whatever else you can get from a local butchers or fish market, that can work, too. If it's taking dead food, try lacing it with a little bit of spirulina for extra vitamins.
Other than that, tank care is as normal. Keep an eye on nitritres, nitrates, and ammonia, do water changes to keep nitrates under 20ppm, etc...
Edit: I agree that requests work better than demands, but that works both ways. Please, everyone keep polite, even if you are responding to a less-than-polite message.
Last edited by sirdarksol; August 19th, 2008 at 12:06 PM.
I've had the snakehead in my tank for months, he just seems less happy, and no one will give me care info. help!!
Where are you from? You are probably keeping an illegal species. What type of snakehead is it? I've seen some species hit the 4ft mark.
Like said above, not much is known about them other then they kill and eat most other fish. And are an invasive species that can live out of water for a long period of time.
Snakeheads have been known to charge the glass and either break it or knock over the tank. Not to mention all the spalshing they make when going after something, water splashes and electrical plugs don't mix. Just watch some videos on youtube and you will see, once they reach a size they can eat it, they probably will.
Personally i suggest you kill it. Its an invasive species and does not belong here. But i personally have no tolerance for species like this.
Last edited by Slug; August 19th, 2008 at 12:35 PM.
I wouldn't go as far as killing it. But NEVER RELEASE THIS FISH into a lake or pond if you can no longer care for it. A friend of mine had one - and she did just that. The fish can't harm the ecosystem as long as you keep it in your aquarium. I've seen pics of keepers arms when they try to clean a snakeheads' tank also. Not pretty. So be careful when the fish gets larger - they will attack anything.
Personally i suggest you kill it. Its an invasive species and does not belong here. But i personally have no tolerance for species like this.
This is, in my opinion, excessive and something of a cop-out. It's not the fish's fault that it was imported, nor is it the fish's fault that the pet store obviously didn't give people a good idea of the necessary care.
Too many people take this route, not just with fish, but with all sorts of animals. They get a dog like a rottweiler that's all cute and snuggly when it's a baby, but as it grows bigger, they either drop it off at the pound (often illegally, leaving it leashed out back in the middle of the night), which is as good as a death sentence for larger animals, or they just have it euthanized outright.
Instead, I suggest dealing with the consequences as suggested above.
If not, at the very least, turn it over to the local DNR, where they might be able to use it after it's dead (as an example specimen, etc...)
You do offer some excellent information about the various problems that these critters can offer. I imagine that the glass ramming is indicative of a too-small tank, as it is with other fish who have that habit. Important to keep a tight lid on, as they can escape. Also important to have a pair of cut-and-puncture-resistant gloves for dealing with it trying to bite.
Parachanna obscura (African Snakehead) should be kept in large aquariums. The aquarium should be decorated to mimic a floodplain. There should be plants present but the number of plants should be kept down. Use rocks to create a few hiding places. Parachanna obscura (African Snakehead) can tolerate low oxygen conditions in water because they are air breathers from an early age. When prevented from surface access, adult snakeheads will die due to lack of oxygen.
From the Michigan department of Natural Resources (according to his location, most likely where he lives):
Quote:
It Is Unlawful To:
Possess or transport any live transgenic (genetically engineered) organisms or the following nonnative fish: bighead carp, black carp, large scale silver carp, silver carp, grass carp (white amur), members of the snakehead family (Channidae), bitterling, Ide, Japanese weatherfish, rudd, tench, Eurasian ruffe, tubenose goby, or round goby. To do so may result in civil fines up to $10,000.
Now, i don't know about you. But to me no single fish is worth $10,000. That is why i would kill it. Yes its the pet stores fault for selling it, but now its yours as well for possessing it. Turning it over to DNR might be the best option, but as of now Snakeheads have not invaded Michigan to peoples knowledge. So giving it to them might spark a scare that is unwarranted. Its that or tell on the pet store that sold it, which in turn could destroy an LFS in your area. I personally just prefer the silent at home method.
Last edited by Slug; August 19th, 2008 at 06:02 PM.
As long as he doesn't brag about it - no one will ever know he owns it. There are A LOT of illegal species being kept in the US. At least he is trying to learn how to care for this fish. As long as it isn't released - it cannot do anything to the ecosystem.
Slug: So, what you're saying is that a fish that committed no sin but being caught and illegally transported deserves the death penalty in order to protect Snakehead from a $10,000 fine that's likely never going to hit him, but you would protect a fish store that stocks fish that it knows will likely end up in Michigan's waterways?
Killing this one fish will likely not protect any of Michigan's water, as Snakehead seems level-headed enough to not release the fish.
On the other hand, this fish store is likely to continue selling a fish that most aquarists simply cannot keep. It is only a matter of time before one of these aquarists thinks he/she is being nice to their fish and releases it into Michigan's waters.
Killing the fish but not turning the fish store in is a cop out and very short-sighted.
I stand by my belief that, if Snakehead decides to kill the fish, he should own up completely and turn the fish into the DNR and tell them where he got it from. He likely won't get into trouble, and the death of the fish will actually do some good, rather than simply being an attempt to mollify his own conscience.
Edit: I merged two threads, so some of the conversation seems a bit out of whack. I apologize for that, but it's difficult to keep track of two separate threads with the exact same topic, so they had to be merged.
Last edited by sirdarksol; August 19th, 2008 at 08:47 PM.
but i still need to know whether or not it can be kept with the fish in my 100 when i upgrade to 210
You've had three people so far say that it would likely kill everything else you've listed, and one person say that maybe the gar would be ok. It might work if you keep them very well fed, it might not, but the only way you're likely to know is by doing it... I would be amazed if you could find anyone who has kept all of those fish in the same tank to be able to offer you any first-hand advice.
As sirdarksol said earlier, "big predators need a lot of space of their own, especially if they're kept with other big predators." A 210g tank is a very respectable size, but with a full-grown clown knife taking up half the length, and three other predators near or over 12", that's not what I would call "a lot of space of their own". I still don't see that arrangement lasting long-term, at least not with the fish thriving as they would under ideal conditions.
And looking at your updated aquarium info, none of the fish you have need salt. Is there a reason why you're adding it? The loaches in your 55g, especially, will not appreciate the salt.
i have been in the hobby for over 13 years so i found out over that span of time salt promotes healthy growth and coloration in all fish. 1 tablespoon to every 5 gallons works amazingly well.
Slug: So, what you're saying is that a fish that committed no sin but being caught and illegally transported deserves the death penalty in order to protect Snakehead from a $10,000 fine that's likely never going to hit him, but you would protect a fish store that stocks fish that it knows will likely end up in Michigan's waterways?
Killing this one fish will likely not protect any of Michigan's water, as Snakehead seems level-headed enough to not release the fish.
On the other hand, this fish store is likely to continue selling a fish that most aquarists simply cannot keep. It is only a matter of time before one of these aquarists thinks he/she is being nice to their fish and releases it into Michigan's waters.
Killing the fish but not turning the fish store in is a cop out and very short-sighted.
I stand by my belief that, if Snakehead decides to kill the fish, he should own up completely and turn the fish into the DNR and tell them where he got it from. He likely won't get into trouble, and the death of the fish will actually do some good, rather than simply being an attempt to mollify his own conscience.
Edit: I merged two threads, so some of the conversation seems a bit out of whack. I apologize for that, but it's difficult to keep track of two separate threads with the exact same topic, so they had to be merged.
Its a tough situation. Yes the store will continue to sell but maybe because they don't exactly know what they are selling. Perhaps this snakehead came in, in a box of feeders or something and they sold it. Maybe it was a one time deal, we don't know for sure. But not turning them in for one offense and possibly talking to the owner could solve many problems.
Its a tough situation. Yes the store will continue to sell but maybe because they don't exactly know what they are selling. Perhaps this snakehead came in, in a box of feeders or something and they sold it. Maybe it was a one time deal, we don't know for sure. But not turning them in for one offense and possibly talking to the owner could solve many problems.
That's a lot to ride on a "could." If one breeding pair gets loose, it could be awful, depending on the breed of snakehead. Some are known for overland movement.
All I'm saying is that it seems odd to me to kill the fish that isn't going to be released into the wild, just because it's an invasive fish, but then let the source of the invasive fish get by untouched. It's blaming the fish for something that is a human's fault.
If it truly was a one time offense, the DNR will be unable to do anything to this store, given that there will be no proof beyond the testimony of one customer of the store. If it's more than a one time offense, the store will get what it deserves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by snakehead95
i have been in the hobby for over 13 years so i found out over that span of time salt promotes healthy growth and coloration in all fish. 1 tablespoon to every 5 gallons works amazingly well.
Hmmm... There are plenty of folks around here who have found that any amount of salt in a tank is toxic to freshwater fish, and can cut their lives in half, or even more.
Biologically, it puts osmotic stress on the fish's cells. The water gets sucked out of the cells in order to balance salinity between the inside and outside of the cells. Freshwater fish cells are made to have a certain percentage of water to mineral in them, and fish that lose this are unhealthy.
Particularly soft water supplies sometimes need to add something to make hardwater fish healthy for this, but they now make mineral mixes that mimic a more natural water quality, using calcium and trace minerals like iron to harden the water.
I'm not, by the way, saying you have to act on my advice. Just offering you the knowledge gained here on fishlore (which includes people who have been in the hobby for many, many years, who have degrees in biology, who work at fish stores and fisheries, etc...)
Edit: Incidentally, Michigan DNR's official response for how to deal with the fish is to contact the local DNR office. No surprise there, but still wanted to confirm it.
Last edited by sirdarksol; August 20th, 2008 at 11:59 AM.
I do not mean this to be an insult on you, Snakehead, but honestly part of being a responsible fishkeeper is researching before buying or taking in a new fish. That should be high on any new hobbyist's list of priorities to learn about when joining the hobby, but being in the hobby over a decade that is definately something to learn.
As everyone else said, it would likely result in a 210g tank with just the snakehead left, once it is large enough to eat the others, unless they bullied it to death while it is small.
I find myself agreeing with both Slug and Sirdarksol. I would kill the fish and then turn it in to the DNR. That both takes care of any worry that it will be released into a waterway, and makes aware the authorities that need to know of its presence.
I agree w/ turning the fish into the DNR if you find yourself not able to keep it anymore. I do also agree as long as you keep quiet about having the fish, it will be impossible for any "legal" people from knowing about it.
Of coarse, my personal suggestion, change your username, and do not let anyone know where you are from if you want to continue to talk about the snakehead, I do understand the point of having this creature, and wanting to do the best for it illegal to have or not.
As long as you stay level headed about not turning it loose theres no harm done. Remember though they do have amazing leaping abilites and the ablity to travel on land w/o water. Keep the lid on your tank good and secure....
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